News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-12-08


J. then, as counsel for the crown did no
fail to point out at the trial. was ,
: sufficient explanation of the motive fol
;. the diabolical act. For the defence
every attempt possible was made tx
{ prove an alibi, but none of the witnesse.
D who thought that they had seen the
e prisoner elsewhere were positive about
E the time; and in the face of the admit.
D ted fact that the prisoner had travelled
to and left st. Pancras Station on that
l night, their evidence came to nothing.
The Judge, who, unfortunately for Al
fred Stuckey. happened to have a
: reputation for hanging, of which he was
not little proud, put it to the jury that
J their verdict must practically depend
upon the weight they attached to Higgs
evidence, which was not only consistent
with all the evidence as to the prison
er's previous movements, but was
strongly corroborated by the witnesses
identification of the deceased. There
could, in fact, said his lordship, be no
reasonable doubt that Higgs had seen
the deceased on the towpath in COM
pany with some man, who was threaten
ing him with violence The only ques-
ton was whether that man was the
prisoner, in whose company the deceased
was proved to have been up to half an
hour previously, or somebody else whom
no attempt had been made to identify,
and who had no conceivable motive for
the crime. The jury naturally preferred
the former alternative, and returned
verdict of " Guilty
Mr.. and Mrs. Waf1es were much
| r1Iao 4hoi 1OI-
though they felt rather sorry for the
old gentleman, too. 1t was very sad
to see him sitting in his room all day
looking at the pictures or gazing out of
the window with that blank expression
young Mr.. Bib paid Mrs. Waf1es an
extra half guinea per week for keeping
an eye on the old gentleman, and had
also paid several weeks rest in advance,
which is by no means the usual prac-
tlce of lodgers in the neighborhood of
Remington Park, where Mr.. and Mrs.
Waffies resided. Moreover, SO far from
requiring extra attention, Mr.. Bib gave
no trouble at all, but did whatever he
was told to do, and would never have
even asked for his meals if they had not
been forthcoming. That was why Mr..
and Mrs. Waffies were so pleased with
their lodger.
1t therefore gave Mrs. Waffles, as she
subsequently, stated, "quite turn" when
Mr.. Bib came down stairs one morning
with his hat and overcoat on, and evin-
ced the strongest intention of going out
for a walk. Young Mr.. Bib Fad given
strict instructions that his father was on
no account to leave the house, as, be-
! ii -, IL, l. 1
he was liable to become dangerously ex-
cited by the noise and hustle of the
streets. On the two or three occasions
when he had called to see his father.
young Mr.. Bib had always repeated
these instructions. 1t was, in fact, his
intention to take his father away to a |
quiet residence in the country as soon
as he had concluded certain business !
which he had ON hand
Mrs. Waffies accordingly placed her
self before the door and explained to Mr..
Bib that he could not leave the prem
ises at present.
''Please-please,' stammered the old
in what was for him rather
IN excited tone, ''can't wait-my son
Ok" He drew newspaper
from his pocket, and pointed to some
thing in it. On the preteuce of looking
at it, Mrs. Waffies drew him into the
parlor, where she saw that it was a morn
ing paper which he had somehow got
hold OF, and that he was pointing to the
report of the first days proceedings in
the trial of the Rev Alfred Stuckey at
the Old Bailey As she read the pas
sage over TO humor him, the old man
kept on repeating, "My son Alfred
murder me mo, no, not Alfred. Must
not hang Alfred ~
Now, IN the parlor sat Mrs. Waffles's
husband taking his breakfast, for he was
a compositor in the Office of daily pa
per. and late riser. Mr.. Bib's utter
anees made deep impression on Mr..
Waffles. He was man of considerable
and, moreover, knew all the
acts in the Stuckey case by heart, hav-
ng been engaged on the previous day in
setting up in type report of the trial.
"He's got some delusion in his head
bout this trial, said Mrs. Waffies.
"Not so sure about that, replied her
"He never had one before.
Ask him what he wants to do"
Mrs. Waffies did so. Mr.. Bib smiled
eebly and said: "Going to see Alfred
mustn't hang Alfred"
The old man passed his hand across
lis forehead and looked helplessly
round him. "My son Alfred" he said;
hen he paused and shook his head.
Presently he went on in a rambling fash
on: event out with Alfred-E phraim
hanged my clothes-close by the river
pushed me into a train-No,
10! mustn't hang Alfred !"
"There is mething in this" said
,Ir. Waffles decisively. "He couldn't
ave got all this out of newspaper.
How do you know that this old boy isn't
Martin Stuckey, as he says? He had
lothing about him to show his name;
-ou remember Young Bib bought him
lew linen and told you to mark it. Mar
in Stuckey was weak in his head; so is
le. The name of Martin Stuckey's sec
md son is Ephraim, and doesn't he call
yOung Bib Ephraiml Put on your
hings, Sally, and come round with me
% the police. They will have a descrip-
ion of Stuckey, and will very soon tell
is what to do. Look sharp! They will
De sentencing that poor devil to death
his minute
1t was more than usually painful mo-
nent when the jury gave their verdict.
Close under the clock sat the white
haired rector of Alfred Stuckey's parish,
who had stood by his curate with touch
ing faith, and whose daughter was re-
ported to be engaged to the prisoner.
He rose as the verdict was given as
though to comfort the unhappy man in
the box. Just beside him was Ephraim
Stuckey, who had been one of the prin-
cipal witnesses against his brother. His
position and the emotion he displayed
while giving his evidence excited much
He had grown deadly
pale when the jury returned, and when
the verdict was given he buried his face
in his hands.
The Judge, in the usual form, asked
the prisoner whether he had anything
to say. At that moment there was some
stir and confusion in the well of the
court, two or three persons. escorted by
a policeman, pushing their way toward
the solicitor for the defence. The pris-
oner saw them, and great chan ge came
over his face.
"Only this, my lord" he said, point
ing to where Mr.. Bib stood between Mr..
and Mrs. Waffies, ''that there stands
Martin Stuckey, my father, whom L am
accused of numbering
At the next session of the Central